Corporate Killing

Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the findings of his consultation exercise on the reform of the laws governing corporate killing. [1804]

Mr. Keith Bradley:
As I set out in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore) on 26 June 2001, Official Report, column 82W, we will publish the findings of our consultation exercise on reforming the law on involuntary manslaughter as soon as we have completed consideration of the responses received. We are determined to bring forward clear and workable legislation that will hold undertakings to account for serious wrongdoing. The consultation exercise has allowed us to meet with interested parties and consider this difficult area in detail.

The Government remain committed to the introduction of an offence of corporate killing. We will honour our manifesto commitment to reform the law to make provisions against corporate manslaughter.

Police Career Management

Mr. Gardiner:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to adopt mid-career exit points for police, in line with the armed services. [2127]

Mr. Denham:
"Criminal Justice: The Way Ahead", presented to Parliament in February by my right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary, referred to the need for more flexible career management in the police service. We are currently discussing with the police service how to tackle this and other issues.

Marsham Street

Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of maintaining the former Department of the Environment buildings at Marsham street has been in each year since 1997; and what the anticipated cost is in the forthcoming year. [1287]

Mr. Blunkett:
The management and maintenance of the former Department of the Environment buildings at 2 Marsham street became the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Home Department on 1 April 1999. The intention is to provide new accommodation on this site as part of the Home Office central London

4 Jul 2001 : Column: 208W

accommodation strategy. Since 1 April 1999, the cost of maintenance for each year excluding value added tax has been:

£479,000 for 19992000

£388,000 for 200001 and the provisional budget for part 200102 is £290,000.

The existing buildings at 2 Marsham street are not empty, as there is a permanent team on site carrying out minimum health and safety maintenance. The Home Office has allowed a number of fee-paying temporary uses of these buildings and car park areas. One such use has been a temporary winter shelter under the rough sleepers initiative.

Sentencing Reform

Derek Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on proposals for sentencing reform. [2592]

Mr. Blunkett:
I will be publishing the report of a review of the sentencing framework at 9:30 a.m. on 5 July, copies of which will be available in the Vote Office and placed in the Library. The review was announced in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Phil Hope), 16 May 2000, Official Report, column 71W. The review, which was led by John Hallidaya senior official in the Home Office who has now retiredwas established to consider what principles should guide sentencing decisions and what types of disposal should be made available to the courts so as more effectively to reduce reoffending.

The report, which is a very thorough and thought- provoking document, was presented to Ministers on 1 May.

The report contains a number of interesting proposals and recommendations, which the Government will consider very carefully. The review was conducted in an open and inclusive way and, in line with what I said in the House on 27 June 2001, Official Report, column 663, I want to build upon that process by inviting views on the report's recommendations before reaching final conclusions ourselves. I will be asking for initial comments by 31 October 2001 and, in the meantime, the Government will be examining the proposals in more detail. I will make a further statement to Parliament when the Government have considered the responses received during the consultation period.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Insurance Scheme

Margaret Moran:
To ask the President of the Council what plans he has to extend the insurance scheme agreed by the House on 23 May 2000. [2465]

Mr. Robin Cook:
On 23 May 2000, the House resolved that an insurance scheme should be established to cover claims against Members in respect of defamation claims. It has since become apparent that similar insurance is needed in respect of claims of negligence, the risk of which applies to all Members, and the motion on allowances arising from the SSRB report on parliamentary

4 Jul 2001 : Column: 209W

pay and allowances, which I tabled on Monday, would, if agreed by the House in the debate tomorrow, Thursday 5 July, enable this.

The House will wish to be aware that a specific case has already arisen, and I have tabled a motion to enable the House to reimburse my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) in respect of reasonable legal expenditure including damages arising in consequence of an action against him alleging vicarious liability for an act of negligence committed in the course of his duties as a Member of this House.

The claim arises from legal proceedings against my right hon. Friend for Blackburn (as the second defendant) and the Blackburn with Darwen borough council (as the first defendant) by a constituent alleging, in respect of my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn, vicarious liability on his part for an act of negligence by a member of his staff (who for unrelated reasons subsequently left his employment) committed in the course of his duties as a Member of this House.

The constituent claims damages exceeding £50,000 for, among other matters, losses on the value of his property and for personal injury, distress and inconvenience (as well as his legal costs), which he claims are attributable to the release from the constituency office of my right hon. Friend of information which he had provided to it.

The motion I tabled last night would, if agreed by the House following the debate on Thursday 5 July, provide for my right hon. Friend to be reimbursed his reasonable legal expenditure, including damages, already incurred and to be incurred in this instance.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

National Lottery

Mr. Challen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which constituencies have received (a) less than 10 per cent. and (b) less than 15 per cent. of the national average for constituencies of grants to good causes from the national lottery. [1838]

Mr. Caborn:
My Department's national lottery awards database allocates awards to constituencies based on the postcodes for the project or applicant supplied by the national lottery distributing bodies. According to the figures on this database, the following constituencies have received less than 10 per cent. of the average (mean) value of awards by constituency:

Denton and Reddish

Hayes and Harlington

Billericay

Southend, West

Hornchurch

Morley and Rothwell

Birmingham, Hall Green

Doncaster, North

Bexleyheath and Crayford

Birmingham, Northfield

Birmingham, Erdington

4 Jul 2001 : Column: 210W

Normanton

Croydon, South

Romford

Castle Point.

In addition, the following constituencies have received less than 15 per cent. (but more than 10 per cent.) of the mean:

Chingford and Woodford Green

Broxtowe

Birmingham, Hodge Hill

Cannock Chase

Wentworth

Walsall, North

Wirral, West

Ruislip-Northwood

Hamilton, South

Makerfield

Reigate

Airdrie and Shotts

Reading, West

Worthing, West

Newport, East

Gedling

Haltemprice and Howden

Crawley

Redditch

Tamworth

Brent, North

Meriden

Blackpool, North and Fleetwood

South-West Bedfordshire

Cheadle.

Mr. Challen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements are made to monitor the distribution of national Lottery funds. [1830]

Mr. Caborn:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's directions to the national lottery distributing bodies (issued under section 26(3) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993) require them to institute systems of project monitoring. They are also required to publish details of their monitoring activities in their annual reports (copies of which are placed in the Library of the House). My Department collects details of all national lottery grant awards and places them on the national lottery awards database, which is available via the Department's website www.culture.gov.uk.

Mr. Challen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the disparities between constituencies of grants to good causes from the national lottery. [1831]

Mr. Caborn:
The Government are keen to see all areas receive a fair share of funding. Reforms introduced under the National Lottery Act 1998, the revised policy directions issued to lottery distributors in the same year, and targeted programmes introduced by distributors, such as the Community Fund' s Priority Areas Initiative, were designed to reduced these disparities and there has been some improvement. We recognise, however, that there is

4 Jul 2001 : Column: 211W

still more to be done and that is why my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 27 June the new £150 million initiative to target funds at some 50 areas which are both deprived and have received less lottery funding than other parts of the country.

Mr. Challen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidelines are set for the creation and distribution of the national lottery community first fund. [1832]

Mr. Caborn:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked the community fund to target £100 million of its funds, and the new opportunities fund to target an additional £50 million to some 50 areas which are both deprived and have received less lottery funding than other parts of the country. The community fund and the new opportunities fund will use their knowledge and experience to develop the detailed arrangements for the scheme and will take the lead in determining the areas to be targeted. The scheme will be UK-wide and will begin in April 2002.

Mr. Challen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures have been put in place to promote applications to the national lottery community fund from the areas the fund is designed to assist. [1829]

4 Jul 2001 : Column: 212W

Mr. Caborn:
Measures to promote applications from the areas to be targeted under this new £150 million initiative will be developed by the community fund and the new opportunities fund in time for the start of the programme in April 2002.

Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the money raised from the national lottery has been used (a) in the NHS and (b) in schools; and if she will make a statement. [1634]

Mr. Caborn:
The Government are committed to the principle that lottery money should add to and not substitute for existing Government expenditure. Lottery funding has been used to fund projects in the NHS and schools which are additional to their core functions. According to information received from the distributors, 1.7 per cent. of the money raised by the national lottery has been allocated to projects in the NHS and 3.0 per cent. has been allocated to projects in schools.

Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been raised each year from the national lottery, for each category of good cause, since the establishment of the national lottery; and if she will make a statement. [1633]

Mr. Caborn:
The amounts raised for each good cause, including interest, in each financial year since the start of the lottery are shown in the following table.

£000

Arts

Sport

Heritage

Charities

Millennium projects

Health, education and environment projects(6)

199495

58,523

58,518

58,522

58,535

59,649



199596

302,277

302,392

301,679

302,909

303,167



199697

312,294

313,946

313,816

313,979

318,078



199787

358,413

368,154

370,694

366,205

402,696

107,743

199899

284,923

306,710

315,022

304,414

397,145

330,442

19992000

262,926

273,172

287,593

275,487

349,839

302,559

200001

285,403

298,411

321,859

295,433

345,093

243,245

(6) Includes £200 million for the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts